Improvement in tobacco-presses



vivrrn *rares Arnim il rrrcn.

IMPROVNENT IN TGBACC'Oj-PRESSES.

Specification forming part ol' Letters Patenty Nof211, E 87, hated MayEll.,` 1359. I

1ro (MZ 1072,07 it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. BAwsnn-of Iowhatan Court-House, in thecounty of Powhatan and State of Virginia, have invented a new andImproved Machine for Straightening and Pressing Tobacco; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full and eXact description thereof,reference being had to -the accoi'npanying drawings, and to the lettersof reference marked thereon. l

In preparing tobacco for packing into. hogsheads, the leaves or bundleof leaves require straightening, after which they are laid in a pile andpressed, or struck,77 as it is called. Usually the leaves arestraightened by drawing them through the hand, or through a hole in aboard, or through a section of an oX-horn. ln some places a narrow boxwith a lever and a piece of board have been used as a rude press tosqueeze and straighten the small bundles of tobacco preparatory to`their being sruck. All these operations are very slow and laborious, andthe object ofr my machine is to perform the same work with dispatch andin a better manner.

)Iy invention consists in Van improved maeh-iue i'or pressing andstraightening small bundles of tobacco preparatory to their beingpressed. or struck in mass for packing'.

l'n the acconipanying drawings, Figure l a side View of my machine. Fig.2 is a top view of the same.

llpon the frame A. are arranged two rollers, and. (l. rIhe upper roller,I3, has a projecting rim or i'ollower, l', which rits into a cor-.respoinling groove, r, in the lower roller, C. This groove r andfollower l-are intended for straighteni n g the tobacco-leaves, whichare to be passed between the two rollers through the groove. lhc shaftofthe lower roller carries a cog-wheel, nl., and that of the uppercarries a larger cog-wheel, L. rIlhe lower'roller and cog-wheel m may beset in motion bythe crank N, when the wheel. n), will give motion to thewheel 'li and roller B. rIhe shaft of the lower :roller also carries abruid-wheel, l), which transmits motion to the small wheel E, and to theroller It, which in turn moves the apron I, ruiming overa second roller,It. The leaves of tobacco, in small bundles of from seven to ten leaves,are ied into the machine upon the table I, and passing between therollers they escape upon the apron I, and are carried i'orward u-ntilthey' slide upon the receiving-board l. This-apron I moves fast enoughto keepv the tips of the leaves straight as they leave the S, which maybetter be made of wood, to avoid the hard metallic surface, whichis morelikely to eut or break the leaves'. rIhese springs are connected with atrcadle, H, by means of rods mand elbows T. `By pressing the treadledown the ends of springs S are separated, as shown in red lines, Fig. 2,so that thebundleof tobacco can be put between the springs directly intothe groove i', Where it is caught bythe revolving rollers. The large endof the tobacco-leaves or the butt-end of the bundle is insertedforeni'ostf As soon, as the bundle caught by the rollers the springs Sare allowed to press upon it, and it is drawn through the springs intothe groove fr, thus straightening the leavesbefore they are pressed. Oneend ofthe bars G, which support the upper roller. B, have some play upand down in the post of the frame, and the bar G and the roller B 'areboth pressed downward by the springs F.

From these bars G'extend two connecting-rods, g, to the treadle-rollerH. By this arrangement, when the treadle Il is depressed to separate thesprings S, the bars (l and roller B are slightly elevated, so that thebundle of tobacco-leaves can readily lie-entered between the rollers.These springs Ill might be ar- `anget'l under the platform, so as tomove the lower roller instead ol' the upper. Either one or two treadlesmay be employed, as one or two persons attend the machin Under the apronI, and in the groove i', is lplaced a scraper, just iitted to thegroove, for

removing any tobacco which might otherwise adhere to the roller (j andclog the machine. The position of this scraper is seen in dotted linesat U, Fig. l. An oil-roller is also placed in'the groove r, in orderconstantly to lubrieate't-.he groove, and thus slightly tr. oil thetobacco. This oil-roller is shown in Figi in dotted lines at V It isbetter to cover the oilroller with cloth or other similar substance.

The oil is supplied to the roller` fromv a; cup,

O, through a small tube, O- g v I ain aware that mostotthescparatedevices employed in my machine are "not new.

Therefore I con'ne my claims to the use of these devices as improvementsin tobaoco-machine's. I also know that tobacco "has been passedthrough ahole formed by two grooved or uted Arollers placed opposite each other.

Having tbusfully set forth' my invention,

whatI claimanddesire to secure by' Letters Patent of4 the UnitedStates,is-

'j 1. The use ofthe follower B, fitting into the v QIOOVGO the oppositeroller, substantially as I setforth. i

2. Thesprings Syas'constructed and opferated, for guiding the tobaccoand straight-- ening the leaves as they pass between thev4'ol1ers,substatiallyas described` url I v '3. The use of the treadle H, incombination with the springs S Vand with the rollers B and C, operatingsubstantially as described, for separating the springs S, and alsoforsepztn Irating.; thelrollers, as set forth. v

, 4. The oil-cup O and roller V, in conneetion with groove 1', foroiling the groove and the tobacco, substantially as described. i

J. A. BAWSEL.

. XVitnesses: Y e

EDM. Fi BROWN, i 4 DANIEL BREED.

